January 20th-26th: Inward, Outward

This week starts out a dreamy one – a bit slower moving and more lackadaisical. There are actually very few large planetary transits occurring, and so we may feel the effects of the moon a little more intensely throughout the next several days. The moon’s work is mostly internal and reminds us to get back in touch with our root self. This could be an emotional process, and requires some degree of trust and surrender. Dream work, or connecting to the core self through meditation and lucid dreaming, can be done with a little more ease on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday while the moon is in Pisces.

The Piscean moon offers us a glimpse of the pulse of our planet’s energy right now. Pisces, being the 12th sign, has a near omniscient presence that allows us to see through the veil into Source. To see into humanity’s present plight and suffering requires both empathy and divine understanding. Of course, this work is open to anyone who chooses to engage with it, but it does require a conscious choice. Labradorite is a very useful and gentle stone for working with the energy of humanity (and for the planet itself, along with its natural world) without being depleted by what you find.

We are aided by Jupiter this week, as the large planet becomes the brightest point of light in the night sky on Tuesday the 23rd. You can find Jupiter transiting the Libran constellation, making the stars around it appear extremely dim in comparison. Jupiter appears as a call to evolution, and to the reminder of loving-kindness as a means of overcoming stagnancy. Much of the themes I mention here are being worked through inwardly; this week’s astrology doesn’t lend itself particularly to loud or public displays until Friday. We are able to enact greater change by applying these principles to ourselves first.

The moon is in Aries from Wednesday through Friday, when it enters Taurus. This Aries transit, though brief, shakes up the heavy haze of the surreal Piscean waters. We may be called to action or feel impatient to get on with something we’ve been planning or working through mentally for some time. This is aided by Uranus having moved to the 0 degrees Aries point this week during its retrograde (which just completed on January 4th). Jyotish astrology does not address Uranus and the other outer planets typically, but I will briefly mention that 0 degrees Aries is the first degree of the entire zodiac system. This is extremely noticeable and its energy cannot be ignored. The point between Pisces and Aries at 0 degrees is a gandanta knot. The gandanta, or karmic knot exists between any fire and water sign (so Pisces/Aries, Cancer/Leo, Scorpio/Sagittarius) and is very uncomfortable for the transiting planet to cross. Having Uranus sitting on this point for several days is bound to create a restless, unsettled feeling. This transit has been bringing shake-ups in leadership and authority. The DIY mindset will continue to thrive over the coming months; communities would rather take matters into their own hands rather than relying on a figurehead or institution to provide help.

On Friday the 26th, the moon enters Taurus and transits the Hyades star cluster. This is considered the fixed star cluster of civil unrest and disobedience, located in the face of Taurus the bull . We are likely to see more activists coming forward during this time, and the energy shifts greatly from the more gentle inner work of the beginning of the week. Attention turns outward toward evoking and provoking change. This is all part of a bigger karmic picture, but remember to continue your inner evolution, as this will guide you in the outer world with more grace and ease.